downtown bar - milwaukee, wisconsin

Overlooking the Milwaukee River, this bar is located in a small
space carved out of an unexceptional commercial development on the southern
edge of downtown. In an effort to counteract the sterility of the building’s
cheap, antiseptic finishes, we designed an interior space with a high level of
tactility, visual complexity, and drama.
A deeply textured wood slat wall, echoing the enigmatic undulation of
heavy stage curtains, leads from the building lobby into the bar area before it
wraps overhead and cradles the mezzanine, where it transforms into a screen for
intimate upper level seating. The
rhythmic modulations of the wood slats, reinforced by a series of thin
structural steel columns supporting the mezzanine, forms the backdrop for a
continuous ribbon of back-lit, custom-fabricated cellular plastic panels
weaving through the two-story space.
Rising up from the main level bar, the ribbon runs above the main lounge
seating before wrapping down again to form a small stage for nightly
bands. Spatially, the light ribbon
normalizes the skewed geometry of the room and ties together the programmatic
elements on both levels. In addition, it
consolidates and veils the bar’s entire technical infrastructure, avoiding the
mechanical clutter that so often compromises the purity of commercial
spaces. Atmospherically, the ribbon’s
deep red color washes the entire space with a sensuous incandescence, creating
an ambiance for unapologetic aesthetic indulgence. At night, the Downtown Bar emits its
mysterious glow through a series of large custom sliding doors into Milwaukee’s somber nights,
subtly marking the resurgence of this downtown neighborhood.